Justifying CSR if you fly at most once or twice a year?

[Anonymous]

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@simplynoir wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@barthooper

Perhaps I was simply just an oddball scenario? Not sure. I apologize for the misinformation.

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Your scenario is not oddball and is actually very normal. There are just a particular set of circumstances which allow a double-dip of both CSR/CSP cards which bypass their one Sapphire rule. And if you're so inclined and can meet the $8k spend in three months I see no reason why not to do it.

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I wholeheartedly agree. I'm looking into other avenues to get into a CSR (as I have another semi-active thread running on it currently).

Sometimes I feel as though I come across as blunt/sarcastic in text-based communications,  so I generally include something along the lines of (not being sarcastic) haha.

[barthooper]

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@simplynoir wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@barthooper

Perhaps I was simply just an oddball scenario? Not sure. I apologize for the misinformation.

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Your scenario is not oddball and is actually very normal. There are just a particular set of circumstances which allow a double-dip of both CSR/CSP cards which bypass their one Sapphire rule. And if you're so inclined and can meet the $8k spend in three months I see no reason why not to do it.

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Running the numbers from the same time period last year I believe I could by adding in restaurant and travel spending as well as anything non category typically put on my Double Cash for 2%, pretty substantial for me as I don't have a groceries or gas card and that would coincide with about $400 of auto insurance. Also probably about 1k of department/clothing store shopping and I also anticipate a Europe trip in that time frame which I'm not even figuring in. Making SO an AU on CSP would be another 5k UR and make all spending aside from rent and Amazon flow toward the spend requirement.

I could apply today but my plan was to wait until I pay down my Double Cash because my util is 7% right now up from typical 2 or 3 for the sake of optimization especially since going for two at once. Pretty minimal score difference though, sitting at 786 EX 08 right now.

[Anonymous]

For me I could justify it by the fact that while we might only fly once or twice a year it's very easy to make use of the $300 travel credit thanks to how broad that category is defined for calculating rewards. I'd use the credit up in one go topping off my Virginia EzPass account credits since it codes as travel. Added to how often we use my CSP for dining and hotels the remaining $100 difference in AF of the CSR would be easily negated by the 3x vs 2x UR earnings. That said we're not currently in a position to open another card otherwise I'd use my wife's CSR offer chase is showing or upgrade my CSP in Aug when it hits 1 year but right now we're staying garden.

[Anonymous]

THIS!

This is the reason why I am doing the exact same thing with my CSP when it's a year old. I got the same sign up bonus as the Reserve and got the annual fee waived for the first year; and then when a year is up..BOOM! I can literally take advantage of everything you just talked about 

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@Anonymous wrote:
For me I could justify it by the fact that while we might only fly once or twice a year it's very easy to make use of the $300 travel credit thanks to how broad that category is defined for calculating rewards. I'd use the credit up in one go topping off my Virginia EzPass account credits since it codes as travel. Added to how often we use my CSP for dining and hotels the remaining $100 difference in AF of the CSR would be easily negated by the 3x vs 2x UR earnings. That said we're not currently in a position to open another card otherwise I'd use my wife's CSR offer chase is showing or upgrade my CSP in Aug when it hits 1 year but right now we're staying garden.

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[redpat]

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@sarge12 wrote:

I don't travel at all, so I could never justify it, but from what I've read, it does not take a lot of travel to do so. It really seems to be a great travel card. I really do not see how the AMEX Centurian can ever be justified...compared to the CSR, it seems way overated with the ridiculous 10k initial cost + 2.5k annually...who travels enough to recoup the difference between the cost of that card vs the CSR? Is it even possible? Add to that it being invitation only. I'm sure it would be fun to impress others with the use of that card, but I suspect that thrill would wear off quickly. If I did any real travel I would have been one of the first to apply for the CSR. If you travel a bit less the CSP might work better, and both can quickly pay the AF in savings from what I read of the benefits.

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I know two that have the Centurion card and believe me money or cost isn’t an issue they spend more in a year than most make in a lifetime and they expect service not rewards.  

I was traveling w/ one of them and I checked us in at the DFW Centurion lounge w/ my biz plat, lol!

[Anonymous]

This tends to be true with some wealthy people. Once they make a certain amount of money you don’t get cards for rewards anymore you get it for excellent service and sometimes the “prestige” factor to validate your wealth and establish that you have “made it.”

[wasCB14]

From my browsing of FT, I see Centurion offers some promotions for luxury travel. If you save 30% on a $10k vacation a few times a year, the card can make sense.

If your vacations are more in the $1k range, then you can get most of what Centurion offers (that you'd actually use) with Platinum.

[Anonymous]

I'd encourage the person to check out reddit.com/r/awardtravel and see some trip reports. Plan your dream vacation, or fly more comfortably.  It may not even include the CSP or CSR. I would rather transfer my UR's to chase's partners for a higher point value. 25k points a night for an all inclusive hyatt thats normally 1k a night?  thats easily 3-4cpp in value.

Side note, yes the double dip is there but its a risk.... heck even amex is warning people during apps at least they say you wont be eligible for the sign on bonus if you proceed.

Good info on benefits in the thread too!

[barthooper]

Applied this morning and got the 30 days by mail notice. Consensus seems to be that's generally a good sign and can just be verification. Calling recon in a little while.

Edit: Just needed to do an SMS verification.

[iced]

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@wasCB14 wrote:

From my browsing of FT, I see Centurion offers some promotions for luxury travel. If you save 30% on a $10k vacation a few times a year, the card can make sense.

If your vacations are more in the $1k range, then you can get most of what Centurion offers (that you'd actually use) with Platinum.

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I think you might have missed a 0. Did you mean $100k vacations for Centurion and $10k vacations for Platinum? Centurions don't strike me as the type to only spend $10k on a trip. I would guess they're spending that or more on the flight alone. LIkewise, I feel like someone who can spend less than $1k on a vacation (excluding cases where points subsidized almost everything) isn't the type to pay a $550 AF for something they use a few times a year.